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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the time when Jonathan meets Ruby, how long has he been married?

2. What is Christopher's relationship to Juliet?

3. How old was Tati when he died?

4. What month of the year is the story "The English Pupil" set in?

5. How does Christopher feel about his sister's personality?

Short Essay Questions

1. When is the story "The English Pupil" set?

2. What clues does the text give as to Richard's age?

3. What unique deformity was Richard born with, and how did it affect his life in adulthood?

4. Where is Linnaeus traveling to in the story "The English Pupil" and how does he get there?

5. What is Sara Anne's intelligence level for a woman of her time?

6. What is the state of Christopher and Sara Anne's relationship at the end of the story "Rare Bird"?

7. What happens to Linnaeus on his way back home at the end of the story?

8. How were Jonathan and Ruby reunited after arriving home?

9. What is the emotional state of Jonathan and Ruby's relationship at the end of the story - when they are both in their fifties?

10. What happened to Antonia when she visited her grandfather at work when he had a new German supervisor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of the story "Soroche" is concerned with wealth - who has it, who doesn't, and how it's spent. First, describe the distribution of wealth within the story. Then, describe the choices Zaga has to make about her late husband's wealth, and the influences she received from outsiders about what to do with the money. In the end, do you think Zaga made the right choice with the money? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In the story "The Littoral Zone" Jonathan and Ruby meet under unique circumstances. How do the two scientists meet? What is their initial reaction to one another, and how does that reaction change over time? By the end of the story, what is the state of Jonathan and Ruby's relationship? Do you think they are happy with the outcome? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

The 19th-century geneticist Gregor Mendel plays a crucial role in "The Behavior of the Hawkweeds". Why might Barrett have chosen to tell that story in the voice of a 20th-century woman only peripherally connected to Mendel and his work, rather than in the voice of Mendel himself, or of a scientist directly working with Mendel's theories? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

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